Author · Historian · Bufka Books

School safety in my youth were mundane concerns compared to the safety issue today. School shootings occur far more frequently in the United States than anywhere else in the world. When combined with other mass shootings, eleven of the worst 50 mass shootings were in the United States. We have only 4.4% of the world population but 22% of themass shootings.

NPR reported that “About 200 universities, national education and mental health groups, school districts, and more than 2,300 individual experts have signed on to support this document in the weeks since” .

The documents says, “Although security measures are important, a focus on simply preparing for shootings is insufficient. We need a change in mindset and policy from reaction to prevention. Prevention entails more than security measures and begins long before a gunman comes to school. We need a comprehensive public health approach to gun violence that is informed by scientific evidence and free from partisan politics.”

The Call for Action revolves around three levels of action: preparing a safe place, protecting those who are at risk, and intervening when violence is a threat. The eight steps are:

Initiate a national review of school safety to insure safety from bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

A “ban on assault-style weapons, high-capacity ammunition clips, and products that modify semi-automatic firearms to enable them to function like automatic firearms.”

Adequate support staff of psychologists, social workers, and others.

foster positive social, behavioral, emotional, and academic success.

Universal background checks.

Develop threat assessment teams.

Removal of barriers that keep professionals from sharing at risk behaviors with others.